


And The Clock Counts Down

by Whiskey-Nova (QueenXplsnMurder)



Category: The Folk of the Air - Holly Black
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, F/M, Literally could be OC, One Shot, Soulmates, Writing Exercise
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-01
Updated: 2020-07-01
Packaged: 2021-03-05 03:01:27
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,655
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25007392
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/QueenXplsnMurder/pseuds/Whiskey-Nova
Summary: Writing exercise number 4.This is a writing excerise based on the reddit prompt "If a clock could count down to the moment you meet your soul mate, would you want to know?" And I decided I would try to write this without writing dialogue.We alllll know where this is headed.
Relationships: Jude Duarte/Cardan Greenbriar
Comments: 15
Kudos: 85





	And The Clock Counts Down

**Author's Note:**

> So as mentioned this is the 4th writing exercise I've completed from prompts. (But the 3rd I'm posting because while the actual 2nd written was written before current events there's one line in it that I'm not comfortable uploading at this present time.)  
> I decided to write this with no dialogue in it whatsoever and it was sooo hard guys! I tried to not write dialogue without making it repetitve or jagged but it doesn't feel as smooth as it could.
> 
> Also I did Google it, Soulmate/Soul mate can be written either way and my microsoft office *Hated* the one word version so I have written it as two words.
> 
> If it annoys people too much I can fix it when I revisit :)
> 
> This one also got away from me and I have lots of ideas so I may revisit this one when 'Time' is finished also.  
> (Talking of, 'Time' should be updated by Sunday.)
> 
> Unbeta'd and characters belong to Holly!

If you had the option to find out when you'll meet your soul mate, would you want to know?

It's a question I asked myself every day from when I was old enough to understand the phenomenon to the day I met _him_.

For most people, at 17 years old, a number will appear at the base of the ring finger on the left hand. This number counts down to the day you meet your soul mate. And then disappears when you touch them. 

Of course as a child there was a level of awareness seeing the excitement of those newly of age, the quiet restlessness when the novelty of it appearing wears off as they countdown. And then the renewed excitement and anxiety as they reach single digits and then _the big day_ arrives.

Taryn, even as a child, was always so eager to get her countdown. Always so eager to fall in love, to meet her soul mate.

I was never as sure.

I asked loads of questions to those around me, those with countdowns still ticking, those around me with countdowns almost complete, those whose countdowns have long since reached zero and disappeared, asking them _and_ their soul mate question after question, with Taryn doing the same. As was common for children, grownups expect the curiosity from kids despite the fact there's a yearly mandatory seminar in schools starting from reception year. Before that it's up to our parents to answer any questions we may have.

At 5 years old the school system takes over because 5 years is the earliest recorded account of someone that has received their countdown.

112 years ago a little girl called Mab got her countdown the day after her 5th birthday and even stranger was it started at _950_. Mabs countdown was not only the first recorded time someone as young as 5 got a countdown but also one of the only a handful of times a countdown started at less than 1000 days.

Of course at 5 they never expected love at first sight with their soul mate, though it is easier to find them at earlier ages.

After all, though when you meet your soul mate is completely random there's no law of nature that says it _must_ be after our 17th birthday. And so schools begin to educate children at 5 years old, on the slim chance someone gets their countdown before 17 years old, which is possibly more on the side of caution than necessity.

I say slim chance, as 60 years ago a 20 year study was commissioned to examine this phenomenon. I read up on the subject extensively as I got older and the study of 1960 was the biggest of its kind, so far, to be commissioned in this subject. It lasted 20 years in order to catch as many people in different stages of countdown as possible as well as being able to have case studies of newborns all the way through to _the big day_. It was a country wide census consisting of a questionnaire and then option to volunteer to take a bigger part in the study. All the while a separate team was scouring texts and accounts documented from years and years prior, gathering data from years past as well as society at present.

So while Taryn asked lovey-dovey questions with hearts in her eyes, yes I listened eagerly to answers too but also, I read every paper, every study, every theory. 

There's less than 100 cases in 200 years of someone getting their countdown before they turned 17 years old. Less than 10 documented cases of someone not receiving a countdown at all. Less than 10 documented cases of a countdown starting at less than 1000 days.

The countdown has a 99.999% success rate of finding your soul mate. No one talks about that 0.001%, it isn't strictly taboo but it is a unspoken rule not to dwell on such things. Those without countdowns fell into that percentile and the odd ones that chose to ignore their countdowns. That didn't happen often back then, in the 20 year study only 9 subjects of thousands involved chose to go against their countdowns. Either choosing someone who was clearly not their intended or just rejecting their soul mate in favour of solitude.

That's what is talked about when someone isn't part of the 99.999% - how they rejected it. No one even mentions those who didn't choose to be in the 0.001% - the rejected ones, the ones whose soul mates choose not to honour their own countdown, those whose countdowns lead them to soul mates that have a different soul mate and even worse, those whose soul mates didn't survive to their _big day_.

It's good that this study was done when it was as it's become a increasingly popular trend for people to not want to know when they would meet their soul mate, preferring 'organic chemistry' with this person over 'forced or predestined obligation' and with it came the rise in the amount of people who chose to cover their ring finger. Either with fingerless gloves, a blocked out tattoo or in more recent years one of the many shops that have sprung up offering specialised clothing and jewellery specifically made to cover the countdown before it appeared.

Approaching my 17th birthday I was still struggling enough with my decision on whether I wanted to know that I ordered a coverlet for my finger and had it in place just a few days beforehand. I briefly considered a tattoo as many others have done, but 1, I would need parental permission and my step-father would never agree and 2, I'm still so undecided that the permanence of tattoo is definitely the wrong choice.

My coverlet is just a plain black one that covers my ring finger from the base knuckle to my finger tip and parts are lined in silicone so it stays in place with movement. And I put it on immediately upon receiving it.

But low and behold.. Our 17th came and went, I wasn't tempted to peek at my own finger but I joined Taryn in waiting for hers to show up. I was as surprised as she that the countdown didn't show on her finger, she kept checking her finger all day. I kept checking her finger all day, nothing. The next day I get annoyed with Taryn, no matter what I or anyone else tries to say to reassure her she brushes it all off, continuing her dramatic despairing with her eyes glued to her hand. It wouldn't be so bad, easy enough to ignore by moving into a different rooms from her. That is, if she didn't keep following me begging me to look to see if mine has appeared. I tell her no, I don't want to know. She asks if _she_ can look under my coverlet to see if mine has appeared. I tell her no, I don't want her know either. She asks if I can show our older sister or our step-father. I tell her no. and I tell her to stop bugging me about it.

Two days that goes on. Until one day I'm in the kitchen making a cup of tea for myself and I hear a shriek. I rush to Taryn, not sure what I was expecting but what I didn't expect was a hand thrust in my face. I'm not sure why I didn't expect it. My eyes focussed on the numbers **_1028_** there, plain as day on her ring finger. Briefly, considering peeking at my own before I decided I wouldn't cave, I haven't decided without a shadow of a doubt that I want to know and until I know one way or another it'll stay covered.

She gushed about it for days and days afterwards. She went onto the internet and input the number into the date calculator. And it came up with 10th September 2023, which we worked out would be the day before the first day of university. We have the remainder of this year and next year of college and then we're on a gap year. We have had this planned since the start of upper school, we're going to travel a bit, get jobs and cross some things off our bucket list before we start university. Meaning Taryns countdown counts down to our first day of university, which will be 11th September 2023. She deflated a little bit after that. It's a common countdown, because you meet lots of new people on the first day of school and even more on the first day of a new school. But a countdown like hers is also seen as unlucky, after all, Taryn is likely to meet lots of new people, hundreds, on the first day of university - where ever she gets accepted to - and by the looks of things, one of them will be her soul mate.

She'll spend her first day of university with her eyes glued on her hand waiting to see when the numbers disappear. But she won't be the only one - like I say, it's a common thing for a countdown to end on the first day of a new school. Lots of people will be in the same boat as she is.

By the time Taryns countdown is under 100 days she's already got a list of attributes she hopes her soul mate has. She talks constantly of what they will be like, how she will meet them, how she'll feel when she and this person _know_ that they've found their soul mate.

Through it all I've not been tempted to look under my coverlet. I even brought a few more of different designs so I'm not wearing the same one all the time. I picked up a new one from each place we visited on our travels, so I'm not spoiled for choice now of how to cover it up. I'm also no closer to deciding whether I truly want to know or not.

And then the first day of university is here. Taryns countdown reached **_0000_** at midnight the night before our first day and that's how it will remain until she touches her soul mate. I get all my things ready and then get Taryns things ready when it becomes obvious she's too wrapped up to do it herself.

One thing I do enjoy about these unlucky but common days is everyone will be weary of touch, not wanting to miss when their countdown disappears. And it means I get a reprieve from the hustle and bustle of how first days usually go, pre-17 that is.

It's not that I don't like touch. But sometimes it's too much, especially on an already stressful day.

Both Taryn and I were accepted to Elfhame university but for different specialities. While Taryn has chosen public relations, I am studying sciences. Taryn is more a social butterfly than I am and there's something comforting about laboratories and experiments. Even though we had different schedules, classes and even different places on the huge campus, I had hoped Taryn would pay enough attention to her first day and all the information she would be told today. I know there's things in place for otherwise occupied students on first days but she should still pay attention. It's also the reason the first day isn't a full day, introductory classes run from 9am-2pm with a 30 minute break for lunch at 11.30am. That's how it goes all week. 9am-2pm, Monday - Friday, with classes starting properly next week.

As expected, the majority - even in my classes - are too busy staring at their hands and looking at other students to listen to the lecturer and I feel bad for him. I'm not the only one paying attention but I'm certainly only one of a few. Thankfully, just as I begin to lose my temper with those around me for not paying attention, it's lunch time.

I walk slowly over to the closest place to get lunch, I did text Taryn but she's eating in her building with some people on her course and so I go alone. And that's where I bump into _him_. Like, literally _bump into him._ I'm not paying attention to my surroundings as I read through the menu on the wall above the counter, trying to decide what I want to eat when I walk to far forward and bump into another person. I immediately step back and apologise profusely - I know how people can be about accidental touches. But he just smiles at me, telling me not to worry. I smile back. He asks if I have plans after classes. I have no idea what's happening and I tell him no, I have no plans. He asks if I want to hang out. I have no idea what come over me but I tell him yes, I will hang out with him.

I don't tell Taryn the truth, she'll think I'm stealing her big day, instead telling her a few students from my course are going for a 'get to know you' dinner and I was invited along. Not a lie, I was invited but I'm not going out with them, I'm going out with _him._

We go for food at the amusements, and spur of the moment go bowling after, we're out for hours and I learn that he's competitive, good, he learns that I am too. I learn that he's funny, he makes me laugh with his clearly embellished stories. I learn that his laugh and even his smile is infectious.

It crosses my mind he may be my soul mate but his entire hand is covered by a black and silver coverlet.

He asks me out the next day after classes too and again I agree. This time we see a film and then go for dinner. I learn that he likes horror movies and that he likes to pick apart the plot and analyse it afterwards. He learns I do the same thing but I have no preference for genres, I just like movies in general. I learn that his favourite food is burgers and that he's not picky about the type. Blue cheese, bacon, egg, pineapple - all toppings are good. Chicken, beef, pork, lamb - all patties are good. Burger sauce, relish, chilli sauce, tartar sauce - all sauces are good. He learns that my favourite foods are basically anything with carbs - bread, pasta, potato - and melted cheese, lots of melted cheese. He learns that I eat meat, but I'm not a fan of it.

It crosses my mind again that he could be my soul mate, especially as he catches me glancing to his hand. He smiles at me over the table, removes his coverlet and I see **_0000_**. He tells me it stopped counting down on Sunday and asks about mine. I don't speak, instead I reach for my water and he reaches for my hand, no doubt to see if his countdown disappears. But I pull back, stammer out that I had a good time and I leave.

At home I don't tell Taryn, she's too wrapped up in her own search for her soul mate. I haven't gotten close enough to her to see if her mark remains but her mood when I have seen her doesn't scream happy and connected with her soul mate. She seems down or discouraged, I don't think she's found them yet. But I'm sure she will soon, with each passing day more and more students are finding their soul mates that the pool of likely candidates is steadily decreasing.

Instead of talking to Taryn, or Vivi or our step-father I head to my room and pretend I'm headed to bed early. In my room I think about his infectious laugh, he soft smile, his eyes and his sharp jaw line. I skim my saved folder of all things countdown. I've never been as tempted to check my countdown than I am right now. It may be impulsive, but I could see it being _him._ I spend a lot of that night going back and forth, arguing with myself. On one hand, if I look under my coverlet and see my countdown is finished but it's not him that'll be bad. On the other hand, if I look under my coverlet and it isn't finished counting down I'll know the number of days I have left. And that'll be worse because I won't ever be able to forget it and I'm still not sure I want to know.

Around 2am I figure out a work around. I'll take my coverlet off but close my eyes, cover the number with my finger and slowly move it backwards to reveal the last number. If it's zero - I can take a chance on it being _him_ , assuming he doesn't brush me off for bailing on him tonight. If it's any other number - I know it's definitely not him but I also won't know the whole number, so really I'll be none the wiser.

My heart beats faster as I see it is a zero, before I quickly close my eyes and put my coverlet back in place. I hope I didn't burn the bridge when I left abruptly. I quickly fall asleep.

_He_ finds me the next morning and I apologise, I tell him I cover mine because I don't want to know for my own reasons, that I reacted badly and that I'm sorry. He chuckles and tells me it's ok, I smile with him as he asks me to hang out again after classes, again I agree.

That afternoon, we go to the amusements. But rather than bowling we play on the arcade machines. I learn that he likes the claw grabber machines and that he's rather good at them, show off. He learns my favourites are the penny pushers, because I love the little trinkets you can win from them, even though I hate the smell pennies leave on my fingers. I learn he's really very good at the ones based on timings and chance. And he learns that I can whoop his arse at Mario Kart and a bunch of other driving based ones he insists he try to 'regain his dignity' on, I beat him at those too.

After we eat, he has _another_ burger and I have a loaded potato, we continue playing on the machines until it gets dark and he drives me home. I learn his has a nice car and he learns what music I like as I fiddle with his radio until I land on a song I like. We pull up to the curb outside my house and I learn his lips are soft and his hair is softer as he leans over to kiss me goodnight and he learns I'm not as skittish as I was the night before, when I don't pull away from him right away. He pulls back and our eyes both go to his hand. The mark remains there. He places his coverlet on once more and tells me it doesn't matter, that he wants to see where this goes and I agree with him before I gather my things and get out of his car.

Again, I head to my bedroom and get ready for bed without explaining myself to anyone. Once I've showered and dressed in my pjs I repeat my actions from early hours of this morning, I remove my coverlet with my eyes closed and peek at where the last number would be, before I quickly recover it and lay down in bed. It's still there. My countdown is still there at the base of my finger and it's still a zero, which means one of two things,

1, My countdown hasn't finished, but I would have to wait until midnight to see if it changes though and I'm too tired for that.

2, My countdown has finished counting down and I have met my soul mate already at some point before today.

But one thing is for certain, it's not _him._

It's not Locke.

We continue to meet up to hang out after classes each day our first week, going for dinner and hanging around the entertainment complex. We hang out on Saturday, spending the day at the beach but not Sunday as I have a standing family commitment on Sundays. I keep whatever it is from my family as they would push for me to uncover my countdown and likely to break things off because he's not my soul mate. I do notice that Taryn has started to wear a coverlet and when I question it she says she hasn't found her soul mate yet and she looks sad so I don't push it by questioning her about it further. 

The next week we hang out after classes but only on Monday and Thursday due to busy second week schedules. But he does ask me out again for Saturday I agree and he tells me the fair is in town and we'll be going with a few of his friends that are also students. I just smile and nod.

Saturday rolls around and I get ready for the fair, choosing jean shorts and a plain white tee and my flats. I don't do anything with my hair, leaving it in waves down my back and put on a little more makeup than I usually wear. It's hot out so I don't bother with a jacket.

Locke arrives to pick me up at 4pm and tells me we're all going for food first and hitting the fair afterwards. I laugh as we pull into a burger joint and Locke shoves me lightly as he unclips and we get out of the car. Over food I meet Valerian, Dain, Liriope, Elowyn and Nicasia. And I notice out of all 5 of them, only Nicasia has a countdown that is no longer counting down. She's on **_0000_** like Locke is, like I might be.

They do ask to see mine but I decline and politely steer conversation away from myself by asking how they met. They were all friends long before school started but mostly on different courses. Locke and Valerian are on a sports course, Liriope is on a art course, Dain and Elowyn are one a literature course and Nicasia is studying marine biology.

Out of all of Lockes friends - only Liriope and Elowyn seem friendly. I catch Nicasia staring at me with narrowed eyes but I brush it off, keeping myself in the conversation and not allowing her or her funny looks to get to me. It isn't long before we're paying for our food and headed to the fair. I am so excited to go on the rides, I love the fair.

I learn that Lockes idea of a friend outing involves the group remaining together the entire time and no one splits off to go on different rides - we all go on the same one at the same time. Though with our group being odd a odd number they each switch who goes with who on the rides with 2 seats, all except me and Locke who always sit together. 

That is, until we go on the ferris wheel, my absolute favourite ride at the fair. By the time we get around to it the sun has begun to set and lights are beginning to flicker to life around the fair and on the rides. As I'm about to hand over my ticket and climb on after Locke I'm pushed out of the way and I look up to see that Nicasia is clipping herself in what was supposed to be my seat. Locke stays quiet, as I narrow my eyes at her as the attendant pulls the bar down and clicks in place before sending them up.

I step back as I 'm not sure I want to ride anymore because I'm mad at Locke for not saying anything to her for pushing me. Liriope and Elowyn both offer to ride with me but I decline with a fake arse smile on my face telling them to go on ahead and I'm probably going to get a drink instead. Liriope climbs on with Dain and Elowyn climbs on with Valerian. When they've gone up and the next couple vacate the bench I make a quick decision that I'm not letting some girl I don't even know ruin my favourite ride for me. So I give over my ticket and climb in alone, knowing that I'll enjoy it on my own as much as I will with someone else.

I clip myself in and make sure my things are safe in my pockets as I feel the bench rock. And see a body settle next to mine. I open my mouth to tell this person to get their own bench when the attendant pulls the bar down in front of us and sends us up.

I stare down at the attendant as long as I can before I can no longer see him and I look up into the black eyes of the person who has invited themselves to ride with me. It's a guy, around my age maybe a little older, black longish hair that's flopping in his eyes and black and silver clothing. My eyes are drawn down to his mouth as I note his smirking at me. He asks if I like what I see, I scoff and scoot as far over to my side as I can, looking in the opposite direction to him over the lights and the people milling about below. He chuckles at my attempt to ignore him and keeps trying to initiate a conversation which I mostly ignore. It is difficult though as the wheel keeps stopping to let people off and on the ride. As we reach the second rotation at the top he finally gets a response from me as he asks why Nicasia, 3 benches behind us, keeps shooting daggers at me.

I look back over my shoulder and see he's right. Locke is staring unhappily too. I just shrug and say I don't know. I don't bother to ask how he knows her. In my silence he continues to talk and I mostly tune him out, instead looking at the views and the lights and the people. But I hear him badmouthing Locke and I try harder to tune him out.

The ride unfortunately comes to an end and we're let out of the bench. I'm tempted to give the attendant another ticket and ride again, alone this time but Locke steps forward to meet me from the bench. His friends all calling out to the guy who hitchhiked on my bench, apparently his name is Cardan.

I don't like him, he seems like a dick.

My assumption proves even more correct as I see Nicasia step forward and try to drape herself over him, I don't hear their words but I am surprised when he tries hard to brush her off of him without making any skin contact with her.

Locke tells me that Nicasia requested Locke set him up with Cardan today and that's part of why this is a group outing. Cardan refused Locke unless the whole group was in attendance as a buffer should he not like her. Locke tells me he humoured both of them, setting them up and inviting the group because both of their countdowns finished today. He tells me Nicasia is certain Cardan is her soul mate and after getting Locke to get information on Cardans countdown she was ecstatic his matched hers and refused to meet him before today.

Locke tells me that's why Nicasia pushed me aside, she was complaining to him because she thought Cardan had stood her up. And apparently she was very unhappy to see him on the ferris wheel - at least that explains the dirty looks on the ride.

I watch them for a moment and see Cardan keeps ducking out of her reach whenever she reaches for him. I almost laugh, before I turn back to Locke and ask him what next. Apparently Dain likes the fair games so we start toward them, moving over to them and we go from one game to another. I enjoy myself and laugh with Locke but my eyes continually go back to Cardan and Nicasia.

At home later, before I go to sleep I think about the ferris wheel. I have always loved the ferris wheel, the quiet calm, the views the gentle soothing rocking movement of the cart. But thinking of the ferris wheel I think of my company on the ferris wheel and his finished countdown and Nicasias finished countdown, and my last conscious thought is..

Has my own countdown finished?

I don't see Cardan again for weeks after the fair, because as I found out late he's not a student at the school we all attend, he studies elsewhere. In that time things with Locke fall apart when I find out he is Taryns soul mate and that he knew from the first week of term, he ran into Taryn on the Friday at school and thought she was me. He grabbed hold of her hand and both countdowns disappeared. I haven't spoken to Locke since I found out and while I am talking to Taryn, the subject of Locke is off limits between us. And I dive into my study and sink into the comfort of science, but really, what was I thinking getting myself wrapped up in the idea of him when I knew for sure I'm not his soul mate and he isn't mine.

I run into Cardan again, for the first time since the fair, at Halloween. I'm at a party Taryn dragged me along to, as I haven't got to be around her or Locke I agreed to attend, besides Halloween is my favourite holiday. So here I am at someone's garden party, decked out in black and white creepy clown makeup, with a black and white dress with short sleeves and fingerless gloves and stripy over the knee socks, enjoying myself and having a drink when I get tapped on the shoulder.

I turn to see Locke. I begin to turn to move away from him but he catches my arm and pulls me with him into the house. It's dimmer in here and deserted as all the party goers are in the garden. I ask him to let me go. He asks me to hear him out, but I don't want to. He holds onto my left forearm with a strong grip.

I tell him to let me go. He tells me things didn't go how I think but I know they went exactly how I think.

I tell him to let me go so I can go back to the party. He tells me he didn't know I was a twin and that he didn't know he was seeing 2 girls not one, but I know that's a lie. He takes my drink, putting it on a nearby table, pulls my glove off my left hand with his free hand and brings my hand up, I catch sight of my countdown and almost scream at him. I didn't want to know! But now I know for sure it's finished. I see the numbers **_0000_** there on my finger.

I'm psyching myself up to slap him in his stupid face, my eyes still glued to my finger when he's pulled back from me and pushed to the side. I then see Cardan, who did the pushing and he's telling Locke to go back out to the party before he kicks him out of his house.

I start. This is his house?

Cardan snatches my glove from Lockes hand with his left hand - the other is holding a drink - before Locke reluctantly leaves with one last look at me. Cardan turns to me then, he's dressed as Jack Skellington and it suits him so well. He says he was unsure Taryn would follow through with getting me here. I ask him where Nicasia is. He tells me she's around but he isn't her keeper so he's unsure where she is. Dick. He asks me what was happening with Locke. I ask for my glove back but he tucks it into his suit trouser pocket. His gaze snagging on my exposed countdown before snapping back up to my face. Then he's asking me again what was happening with Locke.

I sigh, pick up my drink, take a sip and tell him Locke was trying to explain himself. Cardan doesn't ask for details and I realise then he must have known. I narrow my eyes at him as I remember the first time I met him he spent almost a entire ferris wheel ride badmouthing Locke to me. Locke who I was on a date with. Locke who I had met almost 2 weeks before. Locke who, I now know, met Taryn - his soul mate - a week before that ferris ride. I accuse him of knowing all along. He nods and says of course he did. Dick! He steps forward into my space and I back up into a wall. But actually, no, I won't be cowed.

I lift my left hand to his chest to push, so I can go back out to the party and as I begin to push him away from me he grabs hold of my wrist with his free hand.

The movement so quick I almost can't track it, but I do and when I see his bare hand close around my bare wrist I can see both my own and Cardans countdowns disappear.

He's my soul mate.

**Author's Note:**

> We all knew where this was headed, I hope I at least managed to misdirect you for a short while at the beginning there.
> 
> I realise there's a bunch of things that don't make sense with the statistics and the 'study' in this but I wasn't about to sit with a calculator for the sake of a fic, though it may be something that I fix when I revisit.
> 
> Hope you liked it!
> 
> Comment, kudos,rec?
> 
> <3


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